In six years of showing, Erbacres Snapple Shakira ET-EX-97’s crown never slipped — until this year.
Shakira captured the black and white Holstein Longtime Production 70,000 + kg class at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair but finished as reserve champion in the grand champion competition, relinquishing the crown to Jeffrey-Way Hard Rock Twigs.
Why it matters: Shakira’s future in the ring may be uncertain, but her career providing incredible genetics is only beginning.
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Jeffrey-Way Hard Rock Twigs also won the Supreme Champion crown at the Royal, repeating her 2024 World Dairy Expo finish where she beat Shakira and long-time rival Oakfield Solom Footloose-ET to capture Grand Champion.
“(This show season has) been a learning experience. We learned how to be a good loser,” said Tyler Doiron, part-owner of Shakira. “(The Royal) is where the best quality is from top to bottom.”
Few would consider reserve grand champion at the Royal as a loss, but in the show ring, an animal’s time at the top will inevitably come to an end.
Doiron has shown Shakira since the partnership of Ferme Jacobs, Ferme Antelimarck 2001, Attaboy Holstein, Kilian Theraulaz and TY-D Holsteins bought her as a fresh two-year-old at the World Dairy Expo in 2017. The cow’s sale was finalized and she won her first title on the same day.
The Apple granddaughter, bred by Erbacres Holsteins in Lanark, Illinois, caught the eye of Yan Jacobs, Doiron’s brother-in-law.
“He said, ‘I’ve seen the best two-year-old I ever saw in my life today.’ I said, ‘I know where she is. I’ve seen her too’,” Doiron said. “I’ve been lucky enough to always show the cow.”
Shakira turns heads in and out of the ring and Doiron said she loves the showmanship. The nine-year-old cow’s legacy of winning at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and World Dairy Expo in Madison is a rare occurrence.
A fan and judge favourite, her straight top, wide chest, tremendous mammary system and feet and legs dazzle, and her attitude and personality overshadow her one drawback.
“She’s big,” said Doiron, admitting large size doesn’t always appeal to the judges. “But she’s too incredible in all her parts.”
When Shakira and long-time ring-rival Oakfield Solom Footloose-ET met in the Dairy Expo ring in October, there was palpable tension in the stands. But Shakira wasn’t moving as smoothly as she might have previously.
She walked away with honourable mention grand champion as Twigs beat both Footloose and Shakira.
Shakira has only a handful of calves to her name, but that’s about to change. Doiron said her genetic potential and performance make her embryos highly valuable, and her ability to throw red into the mix opens another market potential.
“She’s produced 80,000 kilograms of milk at five per cent fat,” he said, which adds to her demand. “All her daughters have scored well so far.”
Her dam won the red and white championship at Madison and took Supreme twice, and her grand-dam, Apple, won the black and white show as a red two-year-old and, in Doiron’s opinion, has some of the best conformation genetics going.
Shakira’s attitude and personality drive home how special she is, not only in the ring but as a foundation cow and in her connection to the family, Doiron added.
“Shakira is one of the special ones. Those are the ones that develop our breed the most.”
While Shakira shines in the public eye, Jacob Ferme’s 11th breeder’s herd win within the last 15 years at The Royal didn’t go unnoticed.
“That was record-breaking,” said Doiron. “It’s never been done before.”
With three master breeder shields to its name and Shakira about to hit her stride with embryo production and possibly one more calf, that foundation is about to strengthen.
“There’s an ending to every great thing,” said Doiron of Shakira’s winning streak, but the glint in his eye hinted the story isn’t over yet.
